Radio

I say, I say, I say, did you hear the one about the gay novelist? He suffered from writer's camp! Clear evidence (as if it were needed) that Radio 4, so long the preserve of radio comedy, has no requirement for my gag-writing "talent". Programmes such as The 99p Challenge, The Now Show and The News Quiz have long been part of Radio 4's comedy output (thankfully, without my help). And it is sometimes forgotten that recent comedy phenomena such as Little Britain and Dead Ringers started on the network before transferring to television. Radio 4 is often cited rightly as a bastion of homegrown comedy writing while other networks are decried for their lack of investment in the funny stuff.

However if you look around you might find that comedy acts are now coming from all corners. For many years, Radio 2 has done its fair share, with the Saturday lunchtime slot a home for the likes of Punt and Dennis, Arthur Smith and Bob Monkhouse. And for the amount of laughs he raises, it would seem unfair not to include Jonathan Ross in the comedy bracket.

But now other stations are starting to revisit comedy. XFM has been leading the charge, first with Ricky Gervais and now with Adam and Joe and Jimmy Carr, giving them the space to enjoy the unique performance environment that radio allows. If his previous radio outings have been anything to go by, Richard Bacon will be doing much the same on his new Capital FM show, supplying a heavy dose of irony between the music.

A new wave of comedy acts and writers are finding that there is demand for their talents. The new Jamie Theakston breakfast show on Heart 106.2 will be employing a full-time writer, a luxury that is often hard to justify in the budget-driven world of commercial radio. Christian O'Connell (XFM) and Vic McGlynn (6 Music) both arrived via the stand-up circuit.

And across the country there are plenty of examples in the schedules where stations are putting on the funny men and women. The gag-driven pairing of Simon James & Hill is now being syndicated across the Local Radio Group's 20-plus stations as their new early evening show, while the sharp wit of Steve McKenna can be heard nightly on Real Radio Scotland. Radio 1, with its late-night One Click experimental slot, is offering a new outlet for comedy.

So does the recent activity indicate a new boom on radio for comedy and comedy performers? Well, there are certainly more outlets than before, aided by the material that is repeated on BBC 7 and One Word on digital radio. But maybe what's helping this push more is the fierce competition for listeners and the increasing realisation that making people laugh is a sure-fire way to get them coming back for an encore.

Of course, employing writers and performers more used to the edgy realities of a live audience is not without its dangers. We have been here before. The last recent wave of enthusiasm for comedy driven shows was dampened with John Holmes's Virgin show and the resulting fine for the never to be repeated Swearing Hangman competition. (No I can't remember the swear-word the young child was asked to spell on air and yes John was asked to leave the station). Other comedy acts such as Harry Hill came and went without even making a Rajar impression.

But maybe what's different this time is that we are entering a more relaxed age of regulation. It's also a time when comedy as a whole is having a resurgence thanks to the talents of comedians such as Peter Kay, Johnny Vegas and Avid Merrion.

These comics and others are ensuring that comedy is once more the talk of the workplace and playground, which in turn is allowing other acts to find a voice. This can only be of benefit to radio as a whole, as a new generation of writers and performers realise they no longer need to focus solely on Radio 4 - their own local radio station could be their broadcast entry point.

· Steve Ackerman is director of commercial radio and talent at Somethin' Else